Two pitching lines (& Bell's first hit)

Two pitching lines (& Bell's first hit)
Josh Bell lined a 2-0 fastball from Trevor Cahill into left field in the seventh inning for his first major league hit. The Orioles retrieved the ball for him. Jake Arrieta went six innings tonight and turned in a quality start by definition. Three of the four runs he allowed were earned. Arrieta gave up seven hits, walked four and struck out two. He threw 99 pitches, 55 for strikes. That's an improvement over his last two starts, when he allowed 10 earned runs (12 total) and 13 hits over...
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Bell's first blunder (updated)

Bell's first blunder (updated)
Josh Bell's first major league game has included his first error. Bell made a sliding stop of Kevin Kouzmanoff's shot near the line in the fifth inning, but his throw pulled first baseman Ty Wigginton off the bag. Wigginton was charged with an error earlier in the inning, and the Orioles failed to turn a double play on Kurt Suzuki's grounder to Cesar Izturis. Bell swung at the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the fifth, a changeup, and bounced to first baseman Adam Rosales. Rosales...
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Bell's debut

Bell's debut
Josh Bell took his first swings as a major leaguer with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. We'll always remember where we were on this momentous occasion. Bell took two outside pitches from Athletics starter Trevor Cahill. He fouled off a 91 mph fastball, took a 93 mph fastball that missed outside to run the count to 3-1, and chopped a 91 mph fastball to second baseman Mark Ellis. The Orioles immediately optioned him back to Triple-A Norfolk and recalled Felix Pie from his rehab...
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First update (w/1st & 2nd updates)

First update (w/1st & 2nd updates)
Nick Markakis flied to the warning track in center field to score Corey Patterson, who led off with a double, and give the Orioles a quick 1-0 lead. Jake Arrieta needed only nine pitches to complete the top of the first. Update: Former Oriole Jack Cust doubled to score Ryan Sweeney in the top of the second and tie the game, 1-1. Update II: Patterson has misplayed another ball in left field, getting a late jump on Cliff Pennington's drive, turning the wrong way and falling down as two runs...
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MacPhail on interviews

MacPhail on interviews
President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail had a busy day, dealing with Luke Scott's placement on the disabled list and corresponding roster move, and interviewing two candidates for the full-time managerial position. Though he wouldn't confirm the names, MacPhail met with Eric Wedge (again) and Rick Dempsey. "We had two interviews," he said. "As always, they are informative and insightful. It's an interesting process, not one you want to go through on a regular basis. It's an...
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MacPhail on Bell

MacPhail on Bell
President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail intended to activate Felix Pie from the disabled list as Luke Scott's replacement on the 25-man roster, but he received feedback that suggested Pie needed a little more time in the outfield and at the plate. Welcome to the majors, Josh Bell. "Once (Pie) gets here, he's going to get thrown into the lineup and we need to get him to where he can be ready to hit and contribute right from the start," MacPhail said. "He really didn't have much of...
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Dempsey interviews; More on Bell

Dempsey interviews; More on Bell
Rick Dempsey spent two hours at Peter Angelos' law office interviewing for the manager's job. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and General Counsel Russell Smouse attended the interview. Angelos was not there. "I thoroughly enjoyed it," said Dempsey, a former catcher and coach with the Orioles who currently serves as a MASN analyst. "It was a simple process with good questions, and I thought I answered them as well as I could." Dempsey, who has interviewed on three...
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Bell's in the lineup

Bell's in the lineup
Corey Patterson LF Miguel Tejada DH Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 1B Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Josh Bell 3B Scott Moore 2B Cesar Izturis SS Jake Arrieta RHP
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Bell tolls in Baltimore

Bell tolls in Baltimore
The Orioles decided to keep Felix Pie on his injury rehab assignment and recall third baseman Josh Bell from Triple-A Norfolk. Bell replaces Luke Scott, who goes on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Bell batted .266 with 24 doubles, 10 homers and 44 RBIs in 74 games with the Tides. He hit .274 this month, with nine doubles, four homers, 19 RBIs and a 500 slugging percentage. He homered twice and drove in six runs on Tuesday. Remember when we debated whether we'd see...
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Touch 'em all

Touch 'em all
It's another beautiful day, and my last one before the Orioles embark on a long road trip, followed by the All-Star break. That's my break. Luke Scott will be re-evaluated today, but he sure sounds like a guy who expects to go on the disabled list. What lesson did we learn last night, kids? Never run hard. OK, not really. Felix Pie drove from Bowie to Camden Yards late last night. I'm told that he makes the same trip after every rehab game with an in-state affiliate - he wasn't...
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Scott to be evaluated tomorrow (& former Oriole traded)

Scott to be evaluated tomorrow (& former Oriole traded)
The Orioles will wait until tomorrow to make a decision on Luke Scott, who strained his left hamstring while rounding first base on his home run in the seventh inning. "We'll evaluate Luke tomorrow and see how he shows up here and we'll go from there," said interim manager Juan Samuel. "I think he thought that ball was not going to be out. He was thinking if that ball hits the wall, he was trying to get a triple out of it. He was trying to get to third base, and once he hit first base,...
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Deep thoughts

Deep thoughts
Miguel Tejada hit the Orioles' fifth home run tonight, tying their season high set May 1 against Boston. He did it with gusto. Tejada crushed a 2-1 pitch from the latest Oakland victim, Tyson Ross, in the bottom of the eighth inning, and he enjoyed all 384 feet of it. He flipped his bat before leaving the box, and he practically sprinted around the bases. Maybe he was just showing off for Luke Scott. It's been a bad night for Tejada, but that one swing made him feel a whole lot better. It...
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Homer and hurt (w/Pie update)

Homer and hurt (w/Pie update)
Luke Scott just broke a 6-6 tie by following Ty Wigginton's home run with one of his own, a shot to left-center field off reliever Cedrick Bowers. Scott barely made it to the plate. He appeared to injure his left hamstring as he rounded first base and hobbled the rest of the way, almost coming to a full stop at third. Scott pointed to the heavens as he crossed the plate, bringing a louder ovation from the crowd. Now that's dramatic. I can't recall seeing anything like it. Kirk Gibson...
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He's baaack (w/game update)

He's baaack (w/game update)
Game update: We finally have a home run from a first baseman! Ty Wigginton just launched a two-run shot off Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, 2-2. That's Wigginton's first homer since May 22. We also have a Matt Albers sighting. Albers replaced Mark Hendrickson in the seventh inning after Daric Barton's leadoff single, his first appearance since June 24. He retired Conor Jackson on a ground ball before walking Kurt Suzuki. Kevin Kouzmanoff followed...
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Looking lost at home (w/scoring change)

Looking lost at home (w/scoring change)
The Orioles just put on a clinic on how to lose a lead. Take notes, if you must. Miguel Tejada opens the fourth with an error. Corey Patterson overruns a single in left field, allowing a run to score. Tejada fails to make a clean backhand stop of a ground ball, but is spared his second error. Kevin Milwood surrenders an RBI single. Mark Ellis steals home while catcher Matt Wieters throws to second, unaware that plate umpire Marty Foster has awarded a walk to Cliff Pennington, the No 9 hitter....
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Worth noting - Part II (updated)

Worth noting - Part II (updated)
Kevin Millwood made it through the first inning without allowing a run, ending his scored-upon streak at seven games. Millwood has given up two hits and struck out one in his first two innings. He's thrown 39 pitches. Adam Jones gave him a 2-0 lead with a home run onto the flag court in right. That's No. 13 for Jones, who's pushing for an All-Star berth. Jones has hit safely in 18 of his last 22 games, with seven homers, 18 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Update: The push continues. Jones'...
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Worth noting

Worth noting
Kevin Millwood will make his 400th major league appearance tonight, including his 392 start, becoming the 52nd active pitcher to reach that level of games. His 391 starts rank seventh among active pitchers, and his 1,889 strikeouts are fifth. Among active pitchers with 350 or more starts, Millwood's 4.08 ERA is second only to Andy Pettitte's 3.87. Millwood has allowed at least two runs in the first inning in each of his last seven starts, raising his total to 20, after not allowing a...
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Pie and Gonzo might take longer (updated)

Pie and Gonzo might take longer (updated)
Though a final decision hasn't been made, it's becoming more likely that Felix Pie will join the Orioles on the second leg of their road trip in Detroit. There's still a chance that Pie will be activated Friday, when the Orioles begin a three-game series in Boston, but team officials want him to receive more starts in left field on his injury rehab assignment before removing him from the disabled list. Pie will be re-evaluated after tonight's game at Double-A Bowie. He went 4-for-5 with...
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Orioles lineup (and A's)

Orioles lineup (and A's)
For the Orioles: Corey Patterson LF Miguel Tejada 3B Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 1B Luke Scott DH Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Scott Moore 2B Cesar Izturis SS Kevin Millwood RHP A team official confirmed that reliever Cla Meredith cleared waivers and will report to Triple-A Norfolk. For the Athletics: Crisp CF Barton 1B Jackson LF Suzuki C Kouzmanoff 3B Sweeney RF Ellis 2B Gross DH Pennington SS Sheets RHP If Sheets is knocked out early, should I write that the Orioles short-sheeted the...
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Tough loss for Patton

Tough loss for Patton
Left-hander Troy Patton held Charlotte to one earned run over six innings, but it wasn't good enough to pick up a win. Patton also was tagged with an unearned run in a 2-1 loss. He allowed five hits, walked two and struck out two, as his record fell to 5-9 with a 4.84 ERA. The unearned run scored when catcher Michel Hernandez dropped a pop up with two outs in the second inning. Josh Bell, who homered twice and drove in six runs last night, went 2-for-4 to leave his average at...
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